Economic Wine Approach | Less can be good

From the Restaurant point of wine sales view

It doesn't take a rocket scientist to know that we still have lots of economic challenges in our restaurants.  One of them is the average beverage check. More specifically, our bottle of wine sales have decreased noticeable! While we can't single-handed change today's outlook on the worlds economy, we can change our approaches on how we see and sell wine.  We have factors such as
drinking and driving were we need to ensure that we keep them in the "circle of concern" and not in our "circle of influence"!  Because we can influence our labels on the wine list as well as the pricing, the amount of wines by the glass (should always be plenty in my eyes) and if we should offer 375ml bottles of wine!  Yes, I said it...
When I worked and lived in the US, I would tell you - Forget about it and move on, as selling more thru volume on a by the glass basis will win, I am telling you the exact opposite for the European market.
Guest who want to dine out nicely or have a special dinner, often want a nice bottle of wine, but can't afford it or rather want to start with white and finish with red.  They do, however really like the bottle versus glass approach, as often the selection is poor or the wines are not very good.  If you now approach the guest with half bottle options of great quality and recognition, you are likely to seal the deal.  This will enhance the guest experience and raise your average check at the same time.


I wouldn't recommend this strategy in a Wine/Tapas Bar, but more in a upscale dining establishment.